Articular Cartilage Biology: Chondrocytes; Collagen; Proteoglycans; The subchondral bone -- Etiology of Articular Cartilage Lesions: Trauma; Malalignments; Meniscus; Instability; Osteochondrosis dissecans (OD); Osteoarthritis; Rheumatoid arthritis; Genetic factors; Obesity; Cartilage tumors; Microtrauma -- Diagnostics: Clinical examination; Radiography; Magnetic resonance tomography; Classification of articular cartilage lesions and criteria for choosing appropriate therapy -- Conservative Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects: Drug treatment; Physical therapy -- Operative Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects: Refixation of detached cartilage fragments; Joint lavage/cartilage shaving/débridement; Bone marrow stimulation techniques (drilling, abrasion, microfracture); Augmented microfracture techniques; Osteochondral transplantation; Autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT); ACT – New procedures; Correctional osteotomies; Implantation of non-resorbable cartilage replacements -- Important Analytic Methods.

Cartilage defects affect patients of all age groups. Surgeons, teamdoctors, general practitioners and physiotherapists alike are expected to provide adequate care. Only individual treatment plans combining a well balanced choice of various options will be successful. Background knowledge, operative and non-operative therapies are described in concise chapters: Articular cartilage biology Diagnostics Surgical techniques Symptomatic and alternative medications Physiotherapy Diagnostic findings and surgical procedures are generously illustrated by aquarelles and colour photographs. Recommendations for additional reading, description of important clinical scoring systems and a listing of analytic tools are added for further information.